A significant spike in the number of cases registered and offenders arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been reported during the first eight months of the year, compared to the previous year.
While a total of 2,475 NDPS cases were registered within the Kochi City police limits in 2023, it is already 2,138 this year, according to a official data.
A total of 2,793 people were arrested in drug cases in 2024, while 2,372 were nabbed till August 2025. Of the seizures, 44 were in commercial quantities last year and 34 so far this year. In the intermediate quantity category, 2025 is already nearing the previous year’s figure – 118 in 2024 and 90 so far this year. The same trend is observed with small quantity seizures: 1,699 in 2024 and 1,508 this year. Under the NDPS Act, up to 1 kg of ganja is considered a small quantity, and 20 kg or more is classified as a commercial quantity. For MDMA, up to 0.5 gm counts as a small quantity, and 10 gm or more as a commercial quantity. Quantities between the small and commercial thresholds are classified as intermediate by the police.
Consumption cases stood at 610 last year, while they have reached 500 so far this year, according to the offcial data.
The police have already confiscated 325.46 kg of suspected ganja this year, which is close to the 331.51 kg seized up to December last year. Regarding suspected ganja in candy form, which peddlers are using many fear to target children, a total of 418 gm was seized in 2024, and 178.8 gm so far this year. Notably, the quantity of suspected MDMA seized this year has already surpassed the 2024 figure— 2.41 kg compared to 1.89 kg.
A significant increase has been observed in the seizure of suspected methamphetamine as well. While only 30.198 gm of the suspected synthetic stimulant, known for its high addiction potential, was seized in 2024, the City police have already confiscated 228.766 gm so far this year.
Other suspected narcotic items in the police data include hashish oil (1,546.37 gm in 2024 and 172.45 gm till August 2025), brown sugar (218 gm and 30.42 gm), LSD stamps (105 and 25), and Nitrazepam tablets (563 and 284). Notably, no seizures of items such as buprenorphine, diazepam injection ampules, and promethazine hydrochloride injection ampules have been recorded this year so far, unlike the previous year, according to available data. These drugs are not supposed to be sold without a medical prescription.
Kochi City Narcotics Cell Assistant Commissioner K.A. Abdul Salam cited an apparent influx of narcotic items into the city, as well as heightened police surveillance, as reasons behind the rise in the number of cases and seizures this year. “We have been conducting aggressive searches with four units of the District Anti-Narcotics Special Action Force. Over 35 police personnel, including sub-inspectors, are part of the force,” he said.
Trials in a vast majority of cases registered in recent years are yet to begin, it is learnt.
Published – September 02, 2025 12:56 am IST
